Wooden Toys to Make and Sell: 10 Ideas and the Rules

Children’s toys is a very profitable niche for a woodworking business. These wood crafts are in high demand and sell really well. If you can make wooden toys in compliance with the CPSC, you have many options to choose from. Here are some of the best selling wood toys that are historically best sellers.

Categorized as Woodworking Business Tagged

Wooden toys are a common product for small woodworking businesses. Blocks, puzzles, pull-along toys and cars use little wood, can be made in batches and ship in small boxes. In the US, toys for children aged 12 and under are also regulated products. This post covers whether toys are worth making, the rules, ten wooden toys to make and sell, and the costs to plan for.

Read the rules section before you choose your designs. Some choices, like whether to use a finish or how small a part is, decide what testing you will need.

Natural wooden toy car, hedgehog rattle and stacking rings on a wooden table.
Plain, unfinished wood keeps testing simpler.
Wooden shapes balanced in a tower on a round wooden base.
Simple shapes can be cut in batches from one board.

Is Selling Wooden Toys Worth It?

We checked Etsy in October 2026, with shipping set to the US, to see how wooden toys sell. The results show steady demand, prices that leave room for profit, and a few limits to plan around.

What Etsy Shows

  • Small US workshops sell wooden toys in large numbers. Smiling Tree Toys in Lamberton, Minnesota, shows 48,800 sales over 15 years on Etsy. Bannor Toys in Madrid, Iowa, shows 41,100 sales over 14 years. Maple Landmark in Middlebury, Vermont, shows 25,300 sales in 8 years. PapaDon’s Wooden Toys in Walton, Oregon, shows 9,500 sales since 2014, and its rainbow dog pull toy carries a Bestseller badge at $48.
  • Prices are healthy for small items. On the first page of results for “wooden toys”, the middle price was $50, and half of all listings sat between $19 and $99. Larger pieces sell for more: the middle price was $200 for dollhouses, $179 for rocking horses and $265 for toy chests.
  • Personalised toys lead. On the first page for “wooden puzzle toddler”, 32 of 56 listings carried a Bestseller or Popular Now badge, and most were name puzzles. Adding a child’s name turns a simple toy into a gift.
  • The wider toy market is paying more. US toy sales rose 6 percent in 2025, according to Circana. Toys priced from $30 to $69.99 grew faster than any other price band, at 18 percent. Blocks, stackers, pull toys and trains on Etsy mostly sell in that band.

What Cuts Into Profit

  • Testing costs. Each design needs testing before you sell it, and again when you change it. A wide range of one-off designs is expensive to certify.
  • Time per piece. Sanding, rounding edges and fitting wheels take time. Price for your hours, not only the wood.
  • Competition. On the first page for “wooden toys”, 24 of 57 listings were paid ads, and several leading shops ship from outside the US. A clear product, good photos and “made in USA” help small makers stand out.

Wooden toys are worth pursuing when you keep a small range of tested designs, make them in batches, use plain wood where possible, offer personalisation, and add higher-priced pieces such as gift sets, rocking horses or dollhouses.

The US Rules for Selling Wooden Toys

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates toys and other children’s products. These rules apply to handmade toys sold online, at markets and in shops, whatever the size of the business.

Hands carving a small wooden figure with a knife at a workbench.
Toys for children 12 and under are regulated children’s products.
Hands shaping a small wooden peg, with finished pegs standing on a bench.
Small parts are banned in toys for children under 3.
Wooden pegs, a small rack and hand tools on a workbench covered in shavings.
Testing is per design, so a small range costs less to certify.

Toys for Children 12 and Under Are Children’s Products

A children’s product is one designed or intended mainly for children aged 12 or younger. How you describe, photograph and market the toy counts toward that. A wooden car listed as “for toddlers” is a children’s product. Most wooden toys will be.

Toys Must Meet ASTM F963

ASTM F963 is the toy safety standard. It is mandatory under federal law (16 CFR part 1250), and the version that applies now is F963-23. It covers hazards such as sharp points and edges, small parts, cords and straps, magnets and battery compartments. Many of its tests are done after “use and abuse” testing, which drops, pulls and twists the toy the way a child might.

Some rules that often apply to wooden toys:

  • Small parts. Toys for children under 3 cannot contain small parts, before or after use and abuse testing. A small part is anything that fits completely into the CPSC’s small parts test cylinder. Wheels, axle pegs and beads are the usual problem parts on wooden toys.
  • Choking warnings. Toys with small parts that are meant for children aged 3 to 5 need a choking hazard warning on the packaging and in online listings.
  • Cords and strings. On toys for children under 18 months, a cord, strap or elastic longer than 12 inches cannot have beads or other attachments at its end. Check this on pull-along toys.

Third-Party Testing and a Children’s Product Certificate

Children’s products must be tested at a CPSC-accepted lab, and the maker must issue a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC). The certificate lists the product, each rule it meets, who made it, where and when, and the lab test details. You give it to any shop that stocks your toys and keep it on file. The CPSC’s website has a list of accepted labs.

Small Batch Registration Can Lower Testing Costs

Small makers can register each year with the CPSC as a small batch manufacturer. To qualify, your total sales in the previous year must be under a revenue limit the CPSC adjusts over time, and you must have made no more than 7,500 units of the product. Check the current limit on the CPSC small batch page before you register.

Registration gives relief from third-party testing for “Group B” rules, which include the ASTM F963 toy standard and total lead content. You can use other ways to show the toy complies, such as your own testing. It does not cover “Group A” rules. These still need a CPSC-accepted lab:

  • lead in paint and similar surface coatings
  • small parts
  • durable infant and toddler products, such as cribs and play yards

Registered makers still issue a CPC, add their registration number to it, and use tracking labels. Registration lasts only for the calendar year, so renew it each December.

Unfinished Wood Needs Less Testing

The CPSC has ruled that unfinished, untreated solid wood does not need third-party testing for lead content or for the heavy metals listed in ASTM F963. That makes plain wood the simplest material for toys.

The exemption has limits:

  • It does not cover plywood, MDF, particle board or other engineered wood.
  • It does not cover wood with paint, varnish, shellac, polyurethane, stain or preservatives.
  • Paint and other surface coatings on children’s products cannot contain more than 90 parts per million of lead. This is a Group A test, so it needs a CPSC-accepted lab even if you are registered as a small batch maker.

If you want to use colour or a finish, ask the supplier whether the product has been tested for lead in paint by a CPSC-accepted lab. The CPSC’s component part testing rules allow makers to rely on a supplier’s test in some cases. Read the CPSC guidance on this before you depend on it.

Tracking Labels on the Toy and the Packaging

Each children’s product needs a permanent tracking label on the product and on its packaging, where practical. It shows who made the toy, where and when, and batch details. Woodworkers often burn or engrave a small mark on the base of the toy. For a set of blocks, marking one block, or the storage box if it comes with one, can be enough.

Marketplaces Expect You to Comply

Etsy’s policies say sellers are responsible for following the laws for the products they list, including labels and warnings. Etsy says it cannot advise sellers on how to comply, and it can remove items it sees as unsafe. Shops and markets that stock children’s products may ask to see your CPC.

If you have questions, the CPSC’s Small Business Ombudsman answers them for small makers at no cost.

Check Demand Before You Make Toys

Testing costs money for each design, so choose a few toys and build your range around them.

Market stall packed with rows of painted wooden nutcracker figures.
Markets and shops show what sells locally and at what price.
  • Search Etsy. Type the toy into the search bar, such as “wooden stacking toy”, and note the suggestions. Look at prices, review counts and how recent the reviews are.
  • Visit toy shops and markets. Independent toy shops show what local parents buy and at what price.
  • Pick an age range. Toys for children 3 and over have more design freedom, because the small parts ban does not apply. You will still need choking warnings where small parts are present.

For more on choosing products and checking demand, see top 10 woodcrafts to sell.

10 Wooden Toys to Make and Sell

These toys suit a home workshop. Each is a category, so you can make several designs within it.

1. Building Blocks

Hand placing natural wooden blocks into a castle on a tree stump.
Plain hardwood blocks avoid finish testing.
Girl building a tower from natural wooden blocks at a table.
Size blocks so they are too large for the small parts test.
Wooden blocks stacked into a small house shape on grass.
Mark the tracking label on one block or on the storage box.

Blocks are simple shapes that can be cut in batches from one board. Plain hardwood blocks avoid finish testing. Size every block so it is too large for the small parts cylinder if you sell to children under 3. Mark the tracking label on one block or on the storage bag or box.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden block sets had a middle price of $72, with half priced between $53 and $105.

2. Stacking Toys and Rainbow Stackers

Pastel stacking ring toy on a rounded wooden base.
Coloured rings need a lead-in-paint test at an accepted lab.
Toddler placing a natural wood ring on a stacking toy.
A natural wood version is cheaper to bring to market.
Stacking toy with green and orange wooden rings and a small block.
Add coloured versions once the finish has been tested.
Pastel stacking toy, wooden rabbit and rocking deer on a table.
Matching toys can be sold together as a gift set.

Stacking rings, arches and stacking cones are popular with parents of babies and toddlers. Coloured versions are common, but colour means a lead-in-paint test. A natural wood version is cheaper to bring to market and can be offered first.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden rainbow stackers had a middle price of $40, with half priced between $34 and $67.

3. Puzzles

Wooden jigsaw puzzle with one piece set apart on a green background.
Jigsaw-style puzzles suit older children and adults.
Child fitting coloured numbers into a wooden puzzle board.
Pieces for under-3s must not fit in the small parts cylinder.
Two children fitting coloured letters into a wooden alphabet puzzle.
Chunky pieces are easier for small hands to hold.

Chunky puzzles with large pieces suit young children. Jigsaw-style puzzles suit older children and adults. A scroll saw is the main tool. Puzzle pieces for under-3s must not fit in the small parts cylinder, and knobs glued to pieces must stay on after use and abuse testing.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for toddler wooden puzzles had a middle price of $17, with half priced between $13 and $30. Personalised name puzzles made up most of the top results.

4. Pull-Along Toys

Painted wooden pull-along toy on green wheels against a plain wall.
Check that wheels and axles stay on after testing.
Wooden pull-along horse on a string beside toy tractors and cars on a rug.
Check cord length against ASTM F963 for the age you sell to.
Wooden push car carrying a soft rabbit, with a wooden truck on a rug.
Wheels and axles for several toys can be made in one batch.

Pull-along animals and carts use wheels, axles and a cord. Check three things: wheel and axle parts stay attached, the cord length meets ASTM F963 for the age you sell to, and there are no beads or knobs on the end of a long cord for children under 18 months.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden pull toys had a middle price of $39, with half priced between $25 and $50.

5. Cars and Trucks

Finger pushing a natural wooden toy car across a table.
Templates and a drill press speed up batches of cars.
Hand rolling a wooden toy car beside stacked rings on brown paper.
Make wheels and bodies in batches, then assemble.
Child lying on a wooden floor playing with a wooden toy truck.
Round all edges on toys made for young children.

Wooden cars and trucks are quick to make once you have templates and a drill press set up for axle holes. Make wheels and bodies in batches. Many makers sell them in natural wood with an oil finish. Check with your lab whether your chosen finish needs testing.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden toy cars had a middle price of $31, with half priced between $18 and $62.

6. Train Sets

Green and natural wooden toy train engine on a grey carpet.
Hook couplings avoid the extra rules for magnets.
Wooden toy train with an engine and two wagons on a dark surface.
Trains have many parts, so they suit makers with some experience.
Curved wooden train track with red blocks and small toys on a patterned rug.
Track that fits common wooden systems is easier to sell.

Trains are an intermediate project with many parts: engines, carriages, magnets or hooks, and track. Many buyers want track that fits the common wooden track systems. Magnets in toys have their own ASTM F963 rules, so a hook-and-eye coupling is simpler.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden train sets had a middle price of $42, with half priced between $26 and $80.

7. Wooden Animals

Two carved wooden rabbits standing on a yellow and blue background.
Cut animals from thick stock and round every edge.
Wooden deer, rabbit figure and stacking toy beside a macrame rainbow.
Animal figures can be sold singly or as themed sets.

Animal figures, Noah’s ark sets and farm sets can be cut on a band saw or scroll saw from thick stock. Sets are often bought as gifts. Keep each figure large enough for the age you sell to, and round all edges.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden animal figures had a middle price of $30, with half priced between $14 and $57.

8. Dollhouses and Dollhouse Furniture

White wooden dollhouse on a chest of drawers in a child's bedroom.
A dollhouse is a larger project with a higher price.
Boy sitting on the floor beside a tall natural wood dollhouse.
Plywood falls outside the unfinished wood exemption.
Girl kneeling in front of a wooden dollhouse shelf with small figures.
Small dollhouse furniture is usually sold for ages 3 and up.

A dollhouse is a larger project with a higher price. Plywood is the usual material. It falls outside the unfinished wood exemption for the ASTM F963 heavy metals, so plan for that testing. Miniature furniture is often small enough to be a small part, so dollhouse furniture is usually sold for ages 3 and up with a choking warning.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden dollhouses had a middle price of $200, with half priced between $140 and $388.

9. Rocking Horses and Ride-On Toys

Unfinished plywood rocking horse in a child's playroom.
Test the design for tipping before you sell it.
Natural wood rocking horse in front of a Christmas tree with lights.
Rocking horses take more time and wood, so price them for it.
Wooden rocking horse beside a Christmas tree and wrapped presents.
Plan for shipping a large, heavy box.
Child sitting on a patterned rug holding a wooden rocking horse.
It must stay stable when a child rocks hard.

Rocking horses are a traditional heirloom item and a larger sale. They take more time and wood, and they must be stable when a child rocks hard or stands on them. Test the design for tipping before you sell it, and plan for shipping a large, heavy box.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden rocking horses had a middle price of $179, with half priced between $59 and $331.

10. Toy Chests

A toy chest is a children’s product, and ASTM F963 covers its lid. The CPSC advises a lid support that holds the lid open in any position, so it cannot fall on a child, and ventilation holes that the floor or a wall cannot block. Do not fit a latch that closes on its own. In 2014 the CPSC reported 34 deaths of children since 1996 involving toy and storage chests.

On Etsy in October 2026, first-page listings for wooden toy chests had a middle price of $265, with half priced between $150 and $389.

Children’s Products to Avoid as a Small Maker

Some children’s furniture has extra federal standards and always needs a CPSC-accepted lab, even for small batch makers. These are durable infant and toddler products, and they include:

  • cribs, both full-size and non-full-size
  • bassinets and cradles
  • toddler beds
  • high chairs
  • children’s folding chairs and stools
  • play yards

These products also need a product registration card for the buyer. Bunk beds have their own federal standard (16 CFR part 1513). For most small workshops, these products cost too much to test for the number you would sell. Toys and toy storage are a more practical place to start.

Costs to Plan For

Lab fees vary by lab and by toy, so ask two or three CPSC-accepted labs for quotes before you set prices. Testing is per design, not per toy, so a small range of designs keeps costs down. Also plan for:

  • small parts testing for toys meant for children under 3
  • lead in paint testing if you use colour or a coating
  • retesting when you change a design, material or finish
  • periodic retesting of designs you keep making, which the CPSC generally expects once a year for tests done at a lab
  • a stamp, branding iron or engraving setup for tracking labels
  • packaging with your tracking label and any warnings

Include these costs in your price. Our guide on setting the final selling price on your craft covers how to work out a price that pays for materials, time and overheads.

Pastel stacking toy packed in a kraft box with paper shred.
Print the tracking label and any warnings on the packaging.
Wooden rabbit and stacking toy packed in two open kraft boxes.
Include packaging in the cost of each toy.

Tips for Selling Wooden Toys

Linen-wrapped gift tied with twine beside a wooden rocking deer and pinecones.
Gift wrapping suits buyers shopping for grandchildren.
  • State the age range clearly in listings and on packaging, and keep it consistent with your testing.
  • Photograph toys in use and to scale, so buyers can see the size. See our post on taking product photographs.
  • Say what wood and finish you use. Parents look for this.
  • Offer sets and gift options. Many wooden toys are bought as gifts by grandparents and family.
  • Sell in more than one place. Etsy, your own shop, craft fairs and local toy shops reach different buyers. See places to sell crafts online and how to sell at craft shows.

For the wider picture of running a woodworking business from home, see how to start a small woodworking business from home.

Sources

1 comment

  1. I am thinking maybe Boats . My earliest memories were of trucks . Any kind of large truck. When I was around 3 or 4 years old I can remember the infatuation with tow trucks , flatbed trucks , car carriers , fire trucks , box trucks, 18 wheelers , it didn’t matter I was obsessed with trucks . Then a couple of years later my parents decided on my next obsession . I think I was around 7 or 8 years old when after a camping trip to Lake Erie and East Harbor State park. I remember my dad mentioned to me how much fun it would be to have a boat . I remember watching the boats as they entered the no wake zones as the would slowly coast into shore . The sound of the inboard/outboard
    Mercruiser and Volvo engines with the water bubbling on the runabouts and cruisers as they docked or pulled onto their single, tandem or tri-axle trailers. I became fascinated with boats A year or two later my dad purchased our first boat it was an older model , a 1967 21 ft Cobia with a closed bow . It was powered by a 140 horsepower Mercury outboard motor it had decent speed withThe throttle open. My sister, my friends and I learned to waterski. We would ride inner tubes. My mom could slalom ski . We had a lot of fun times with our family and friends on that boat . Aunts uncles, cousins and friends all had a blast. These are memories I’ll have forever.

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